The UEFA Super Cup is an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The match was first played in 1973, and it is currently sponsored by Turkish Airlines.
History
The UEFA Super Cup was created by Anton Witkamp, a reporter and later sports editor of Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. Witkamp was looking for something new to decide which was the best team in Europe, and he came up with the idea of a match between the winners of the European Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
The first UEFA Super Cup was played in 1973, and it featured Ajax, who had won the European Cup, and AC Milan, who had won the European Cup Winners' Cup. Ajax won the match 6-0, and they became the first team to win the UEFA Super Cup.
The UEFA Super Cup has been played every year since 1973, except for 1974, 1981, and 1985. In 1974, the match was not played because English clubs were banned from European competitions. In 1981, the match was not played due to scheduling problems. In 1985, the match was not played because of the Heysel Stadium disaster.
The UEFA Super Cup has been won by 48 different teams, and the most successful team is Barcelona, who have won the trophy five times.
Memorable moments
There have been many memorable moments in the history of the UEFA Super Cup. Some of the most memorable moments include:
- Real Madrid's 6-1 win over Barcelona in 1998
- Bayern Munich's 2-1 win over Chelsea in 2013.
- Liverpool's 4-2 win over Sevilla in 2019.
- Chelsea's penalty shootout win over Villarreal in 2021.
The UEFA Super Cup today
The UEFA Super Cup is still one of the most prestigious club competitions in the world. It is a great opportunity for the winners of the Champions League and the Europa League to test themselves against each other, and it is also a great way for the winners to start their season.
The UEFA Super Cup is sure to continue to be a popular competition for many years to come.
"The UEFA Super Cup is a great competition. It is a chance for the winners of the Champions League and the Europa League to test themselves against each other, and it is also a great way to start the season." - Jurgen Klopp
